TEMPORAL TEMPTATION

Bad Luck

"Wait, what? What about my consent?" I blurted out, my voice rising in alarm.

The man regarded me for a moment before bursting into laughter, tears of amusement forming in the corners of his eyes. "I apologize, I was just pulling your leg. You seemed so serious about it that I couldn't resist."

I stared at him in disbelief. "So, this whole time-guardian thing—"

"Was a joke, obviously," he interjected, plopping down beside me. "The name's Kavi. I'm the village prankster, and that's pretty much all there is to me."

"How did you even know my name?" I inquired cautiously.

"Oh, you dropped your business card," he said, pulling it out from his coat pocket. "Karan Dogra, lawyer," he read with admiration.

"That prank was quite a dirty one, though. Why tamper with topics like time travel and escape?" I asked, frustration evident in my tone. "And what's with the all-white dress?"

He looked at me curiously. "Why so defensive? It was just a harmless joke, my friend. As for the dress, I tailored it myself. Did I mention I'm also a master tailor? And this," he pointed at the stopwatch, "belonged to my grandfather, a skilled clockmaker."

"So, you design costumes and scare people?" I inquired, raising a skeptical brow.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Nah, the villagers have grown tired of my antics. They've all but discarded me; now, my pranks are reserved for outsiders."

"Why did they discard you?" I probed further.

He sighed, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "They don't appreciate my way of thinking. I'm a very imaginative person, I admit. I delve into outwardly concepts, things that haven't happened here—time travel, teleportation, multidimensional travel, and other cosmic enigmas. They see me as delusional, unable to accept my unconventional thoughts."

I nodded, understanding dawning. "So, you create these quirky costumes and roam around, fulfilling your desire to pretend to be a time traveler or something?"

"Something like that," he replied with a shrug.

"I see," I sighed in relief, silently thanking whatever forces that be for not making things even stranger than they already were.

He arched an eyebrow at me before asking, "Where are you from, by the way?"

"Oh, I'm from the town next to this village," I replied carefully.

"Siddhaganga?" he mused.

"That's the one," I confirmed.

He nodded, his gaze assessing. "You look quite affluent," he remarked, eyeing my attire. "I didn't realize they had such advanced tailors in that town, using fabrics like this." He reached out to touch the hem of my coat, examining it closely.

"Well, they are quite skilled," I replied awkwardly, trying my best to keep certain details hidden.

"Hmm, it appears so," he commented before shifting his focus back to me. "Say, how much do lawyers make these days?"

I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully. "Enough to sustain themselves, I believe."

He burst into laughter once again. "Excellent response! I expected that from someone as knowledgeable as you. You're being honest yet discreet, a trait I admire."

I remained silent, studying Kavi as he spoke, trying to discern what kind of person he truly was. Yet, his demeanor revealed nothing; it was as if he were both there and not there at the same time.